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San Francisco 49ers defensive end Bryce Huff announced Thursday in an Instagram reel that he is retiring from the NFL at 27.
Huff, who spent the first four years of his career with the New York Jets before one-season stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers, said he was eager to pursue an identity beyond athletic pursuits.
"Football has been my entire life," Huff said. "I've played ever since I was 4 years old, but at 27 years old, I know I'm capable of giving the world more than just football."
Huff said he was launching a company focused on lithium-ion battery technology.
An undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020, Huff first rose to prominence with the Jets in 2023, when he recorded 10 sacks and a league-best 21.8% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats. After his breakout season, he signed a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, which carried the highest annual average value for a non-quarterback former undrafted free agent in NFL history.
Though he would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2024, Huff struggled throughout his lone season in Philadelphia. He missed five games due to a torn ligament in his wrist and was later a healthy scratch for Super Bowl 59 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He later acknowledged he "knew pretty early on it wasn't a fit."
He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in June 2025, reuniting him with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who was the team's defensive coordinator at the time. Saleh, however, left this offseason to accept the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching position.
Huff retires with one year remaining on his contract.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryce Huff retires from NFL at 27 after six-year career in league
Continue reading...
Huff, who spent the first four years of his career with the New York Jets before one-season stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers, said he was eager to pursue an identity beyond athletic pursuits.
"Football has been my entire life," Huff said. "I've played ever since I was 4 years old, but at 27 years old, I know I'm capable of giving the world more than just football."
Huff said he was launching a company focused on lithium-ion battery technology.
An undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020, Huff first rose to prominence with the Jets in 2023, when he recorded 10 sacks and a league-best 21.8% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats. After his breakout season, he signed a three-year, $51.1 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, which carried the highest annual average value for a non-quarterback former undrafted free agent in NFL history.
Though he would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2024, Huff struggled throughout his lone season in Philadelphia. He missed five games due to a torn ligament in his wrist and was later a healthy scratch for Super Bowl 59 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He later acknowledged he "knew pretty early on it wasn't a fit."
He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in June 2025, reuniting him with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who was the team's defensive coordinator at the time. Saleh, however, left this offseason to accept the Tennessee Titans' head-coaching position.
Huff retires with one year remaining on his contract.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryce Huff retires from NFL at 27 after six-year career in league
Continue reading...
